"Guh…"
A soft, muffled sniffle slipped out from behind Raiquèn's door.
"What kind of—" hiccup "—story is this!?"
Tears welled in her eyes as she clutched the script she'd been given earlier that day. She had expected some overused, cliché historical drama, but this one… this one was different.
"I really underestimated Ms. Vanessa," Rai whispered, dabbing her nose with a tissue.
Her lips trembled into a pout as she reached the end.
"She truly is a legend when it comes to drama and tragedy…"
Her gaze lingered on the last page longer than she intended.
"It must've been so frustrating for Mitsura…" she murmured, her heart heavy for the character.
With a long exhale, she leaned back against her chair, then let her body sink into the bed behind her.
"I wonder which role I'll even get to play…"
The script slid from her fingers onto the desk, its title exposed in bold, elegant print:
My Beloved Muse.
Rai lay sprawled on her bed, staring at the ceiling, thoughts racing.
'Yeira will definitely get the leading role, right? Of course.'
'That goes without saying. She's a world-renowned actress… there's no way she wouldn't secure it.'
She hugged her pillow tightly against her chest, a small smile tugging at her lips.
"Still… it feels nice," she whispered to herself.
"I'll get to work with my idol…"
Her eyelids grew heavy, and with that lingering thought warming her chest, Rai drifted into sleep.
The next day came, and Raiquèn arrived at La Scala Theater clutching the copy of the script like it was both a lifeline and a curse.
As soon as she entered the rehearsal room, Himeko's voice rang out.
"Raaai, you're here!" she said, practically bouncing over.
"Have you read the script?"
"I did," Rai replied, adjusting the strap of her bag.
"It was so tragic!" Himeko groaned dramatically, clutching her chest.
"Hahaha, you're right…" Rai agreed, though her gaze was already wandering across the room.
And there she was.
In the far corner, Yeira sat with the script in hand, her posture composed, her focus razor-sharp. She didn't so much read as consume the words, every page devoured with intense silence.
'I… I even put effort in my appearance today,' Rai thought, sneaking a glance.
'I wonder if Yeira will notice me…'
But the thought was too bold. She quickly frowned at herself and looked away, cheeks heating.
'Why would she look at me? Am I crazy? She probably doesn't even know I exist…'
Her spiraling thoughts were cut short when the door opened. Madam Aurelia and Vanessa stepped inside, instantly drawing everyone's attention.
"Everyone is here?" Madam asked.
A staff member nodded.
"Good. Then I assume you've all read the script." Madam's sharp eyes swept across the room, daring anyone to answer no.
"If so, then Ms. Vanessa will announce your roles."
All eyes shifted to the scriptwriter, who stiffened as though the weight of the entire room pressed on her. She fiddled with the paper in her hands, then cleared her throat.
"S-so… uhm… here are the characters I've decided on," Vanessa said, her voice soft but audible.
She looked down at the list.
"Yeira as Gwen."
Of course. Rai's heart sank with a mixture of awe and inevitability.
"Éryan as Geno, Gwen's older brother."
Éryan simply nodded.
"Himeko as Avi, Gwen's personal maid."
Beside Rai, Himeko sighed in relief. "Thank god. I didn't want a role with too much exposure."
"Sheena as Reyna."
Sheena's lips curled into a knowing smile.
'That'll be a challenge,' Rai thought. 'Reyna is the antagonist… and a manipulating one.'
"Azul as Emir, Gwen's father."
"Guess I look old enough for the job," Azul joked, drawing a ripple of laughter.
"Vlad as Ven, Mitsura's older brother. Maddox as Jeyo, Gwen's uncle. Lance as Leo, a knight of the Duke's household."
Rai's chest tightened. 'Wait… then who's—'
"And Raiquèn as Mitsura."
Her world screeched to a halt.
'AAAAAAAAA!' Her internal scream rattled every corner of her mind.
"Oh, Rai-san, you got the second most important role!" Himeko chirped, then blinked at Rai's frozen, almost horrified expression.
But Rai wasn't horrified at the weight of Mitsura's role itself. No—she was horrified because Mitsura meant constant interaction with Gwen. With Yeira.
'Dear heavens… am I being punished or blessed?'
She forced a polite smile, though her chest was a whirlwind.
Vanessa glanced up again, fidgeting with her notes. "S-so, that's all. Please study your characters well… and, um, try to get along with each other so we can build chemistry on stage."
Rai stole a glance toward Yeira, who remained unreadable, her gaze fixed on Vanessa as though she were analyzing every syllable.
'She probably doesn't mind at all. She's used to working with everyone.'
Rai's fingers tightened around the script.
'But oh my god…'
She buried her face in the paper.
'This play will be the death of me.'
"Okay, so is everybody fine with starting line practice today?" the director asked, scanning the room.
"Yes," everyone echoed in unison.
"Good. I'll give you all an hour to read through the first act as many times as you can. After that, we'll begin."
She clapped her hands once—sharp, decisive—then exited with brisk steps, leaving the air charged with anticipation.
Raiquèn exhaled heavily in her corner seat, her script trembling slightly in her hands. Nervousness tightened her chest like a corset, and she knew why.
If Yeira weren't here, she'd feel at ease. But Yeira was here—just a few meters away, calm, focused, every flick of her eyes against the page.
'Well… there's nothing I can do now but give my best…'
Rai told herself, flipping the script open with shaky determination.
"Say, Rai-san~"
She looked up to find Himeko leaning toward her, mischief glinting in her eyes.
"Hm?"
"Let's eat later, if you're free," Himeko said with a grin.
"Sure, I'm free after practice."
"Yay! Alrighty~" Himeko sing-songed, her mood as light as ever. She stretched, then wandered off to chat with Sheena across the room, leaving Raiquèn alone with her thoughts.
Which was both a blessing and a curse.
'Line practice… with Yeira…'
Rai's eyes traced the ink of the script again, her mind painting the stage, the characters, the heartbreak.
Gwen and Mitsura. The names seemed to pulse off the page like a challenge.
Her throat tightened.
'I have to do well. No—better than well. If I falter, if I embarrass myself… I'll ruin everything.'
The first act only consist of the introduction of Gwen since Reyna the stepmother were married to the Duke Emir...
The story goes like
Gwen, daughter of Duke Emir, lives under the shadow of her father's new wife, Reyna. While Emir sees Reyna as a stabilizing force after loss, the truth is darker — Reyna secretly schemes to seize the family's fortune. With the help of her niece Mitsura, she begins a quiet poisoning of the household.
Mitsura is planted as Gwen's "friend," tasked with earning her trust and lulling her into submission. But what Mitsura doesn't know is that Gwen herself desires ruin: broken by hatred for her family and longing for escape, Gwen chooses to aid the plot against her own bloodline.
Yet as days pass, Mitsura's task grows heavier. Bound by Reyna's will but softened by Gwen's kindness, Mitsura finds herself torn. What began as deception grows into genuine closeness, perhaps even love. And when truth collides with guilt, Mitsura must decide: betray Gwen to survive, or defy her own blood to save the woman she was sent to destroy.
Rai buried her face into the script, the thin paper crinkling against her flushed skin.
'Gosh, just thinking about the play makes my heart race with so much excitement.'
Her cheeks warmed, the kind of heat that no amount of fanning could chase away. Slowly, she lowered the script until only her eyes peeked over the edge, sneaking a glance toward Yeira.
Yeira was still immersed in her own copy, her posture poised, her expression serious—completely absorbed in the words before her. Not a single trace of nervousness, as if the stage had always been her natural home.
'I wonder… will I be able to match Yeira's acting?'
The thought curled in Rai's chest like a knot. She knew her skills were sharp, her performances praised more than once, but this was different. Yeira wasn't just another actress—she was the actress, the one Rai had admired since childhood.
'What if I stumble? What if I can't keep up with her?' she thought, biting her lower lip.
But another whisper pushed through the doubt.
'No. I can't think like that. If I let myself falter, I'll lose before I even begin.'
She straightened her back, tapping the script lightly against her lap as if bracing herself.
And yet, no matter how hard she tried to steel her resolve, the faint tremor of excitement wouldn't leave her veins.
Because deep down—beneath all the fear—there was the secret thrill that she, Raiquèn Xy Ignazio-Kanazora, would soon share a stage with Yeira Inès Lefevre Monteval.
And that thought alone made her heart race all over again.